Past Fellows

Graduate Fellows

Julie Kearney Wasserman is a PhD student in the Department of Geography and is the current graduate fellow for the IUFI. She has an educational background in ecology and ecological horticulture, with research interests revolving around the implications of climate change on agriculture. She’s had a lifelong obsession with food and cooking, having grown up intently watching her dad who has a serious knack for Cajun cuisine. One of her favorite quotes of all time is, “If you’re afraid of butter, use cream.”

Leigh Bush is an advanced Ph.D. candidate in the Food Studies program at IU. Her dissertation research focuses on the effects of new media on the culinary community. Prior to working for the Food Institute, Leigh spent two years in the field working with chefs, media producers and software developers involved in the culinary community across Chicago. Leigh has assisted and instructed several classes at the university including Archeology of Wine and Fermented Beverages, Anthropology through Visual Media, Intro to International Affairs, and Interpersonal Communications. Leigh hosted the WTIU documentary Hoosier Hospitality: Wine and acted as managing producer for WFHB’s storytelling radio show The Porch Swing. Leigh was a graduate fellow with the IUFI for 2016-2017.

Maddie Chera is an advanced Ph.D. student in the Cultural Anthropology sub-field working on her dissertation on the promotion of traditional foods and the perception of food culture change in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. She is a Student Representative of the Association for the Study of Food and Society (ASFS), and also a member of the Society for the Anthropology of Food and Nutrition (SAFN), an AAA sub-group. Maddie has taught several classes at multiple universities and is working on strengthening food studies pedagogy across disciplines. Maddie was a graduate fellow with the IUFI for 2016-2017.